Powell was a Miami Dolphins linebacker during the team’s perfect season of 1972. He died Thursday at University Medical Center. The 65-year-old Powell, a State Farm insurance agent the last 32 years in Lubbock, had retired at the end of March.

He spent his entire NFL career — 1969 through 1973 — with the Dolphins. Their 17-0 team in 1972 remains the only undefeated Super Bowl champion.

“I never dreamed of playing in the NFL, let alone being a part of that team,” Powell said in a 2005 interview with The Avalanche-Journal. “And on top of that, I played in three Super Bowls.”

According to an Associated Press story on a 20-year reunion of the ’72 Dolphins, Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield picked Powell as the team’s most unsung player. He wasn’t a starter, but led the Dolphins’ punt- and kickoff-coverage teams.

“The funny part of that is, some people always dream of doing that,” Jan Powell said Thursday. “That was so far out of his element. He loved riding horses and breaking horses. His goal was to be a professional roper, at least just a good roper.”

Family members said Powell, who was born in Matador and grew up in Spur, was often the underdog during his football career. He planned to go to Texas Tech on scholarship, but that didn’t materialize, his wife said. He went to West Texas State (now West Texas A&M) as a walk-on, but with the promise he’d be treated like a scholarship player. That lasted until he got in line with scholarship players at lunch and was told not to by an assistant coach.

It didn’t take long for Powell to prove himself, though. He lettered from 1966 through 1968 on three winning teams, made co-captain and was inducted into the WT Hall of Champions in 1988.

Powell made the Dolphins as a ninth-round draft pick in 1969, then got cut in the 1970 preseason after Don Shula took over as head coach.

“Then he ended up calling him two weeks later,” Scott Powell, Jesse’s son, said. “He was back in Spur, Texas. Don called him at 5 o’clock in the morning and said, ‘Come back.’ ”

Powell made it four more years with the Dolphins — until he couldn’t come back from knee surgery at age 26. He wore No. 56 and wound up playing in 56 NFL games.

“That wasn’t exactly what he thought his life was going to turn out like,” Jan Powell said. “It took all the guts he had to go pursue it.”

After his football career, Powell worked for a food supplement company, Scott Powell said, before getting into the insurance business. He lived in Lubbock for about 36 years and retired from State Farm on March 31.

He died early Thursday, a day after being hospitalized. Scott Powell said his father had suffered from neurological problems, but the exact cause of his death was not immediately determined.

“Cardiac arrest, but it was after other things happened,” Scott Powell said. “The doctors really have no explanation.”

Powell is survived by his wife, three children and eight grandchildren.

A visitation is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Monday at LakeRidge Chapel and Memorial Designers. A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday at Monterey Church of Christ.